In recent years, educational surveys, sales data, and anecdotal evidence from teachers and librarians have all pointed to the same discouraging fact: that the share of kids ages nine and up reading for pleasure is at a record low. While diminished attention spans are often identified as the culprit, factors such as over scheduling, waning school library funding and staffing (often linked to book-banning campaigns), the rising cost of books, and a breakdown in book discovery each play a part.
As booksellers, publishers, and authors search for ways to connect with readers, the discussion is moving beyond finding the next crowd-pleasing graphic novel. From a 400-page book including wordless segments and a novel-in-verse honouring its octopus protagonist to a series with the first two instalments publishing only a month apart, there’s a raft of forthcoming books playing with new types of design and content coming out.
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